Match Report : 02/10/2012

2 October 2012

Birthday boy Boyd nets in away win.

Two goals inside the first quarter of the game gave Peterborough United a second successive npower Championship victory as George Boyd celebrated his 27th birthday with a goal and a fine individual performance.

Peterborough United made a dream start to the fixture at Oakwell as birthday boy George BOYD fired home with his left-foot from close-range after Shaun Brisley's goalbound header had been cleared by Bobby Hassell.

Goalkeeper Ben Alnwick denied Boyd a second on eight minutes and then produced an even better stop to deny Tommy Rowe with the follow-up. Scott Golbourne fired over at the other end after a corner was only half cleared.

It was 2-0 to a dominant Posh on 10 minutes and it was a superb header from Tyrone BARNETT who met a diagonal from Rowe and planted a stunning effort past Alnwick and into the bottom corner. Boyd was in great form, he twisted and turned past defenders before standing a cross up for Barnett, but this time his header was saved.

Bostwick tested Alnwick with a skidding effort, which the goalkeeper did well to gather at the second attempt. With no backlift whatsoever, Barnsley striker Craig Davies was inches away from a leveller after a stunning 25-yard effort, which crashed against the underside of the crossbar before rebounding to safety.

Olejnik denied Cranie, whose towering header was creeping in as Barnsley enjoyed their best spell of the first period. Knight-Percival headed a Boyd corner kick wide of the upright on 43 minutes. In first half stoppage time, Rowe crashed a left-foot volley against the crossbar.

Bostwick was carded for a foul on Cywka on 49 minutes as Barnsley started the second period with a good tempo.

The Tykes made a double change just before the hour with Marlon Harewood and David Perkins introduced from the substitutes bench. Saido Berahino replaced the hard-working Sinclair on 65 minutes in Darren Ferguson's first tactical change of the night.

Boyd fizzed a left-foot shot wide of the target on 75 minutes after good hold-up play by Barnett. Substitute Marlon Harewood somehow missed from a yard on 82 minutes, with just the goalkeeper to beat he completely missed his header.

Former Barnsley midfielder Grant McCann replaced Boyd on 88 minutes and received a decent ovation from the Oakwell crowd.